Gabe Peterson's Marathon + 50k Running Adventures
The purpose of this thread is to document my curious running adventures over the next 20 weeks. I am ramping up for St George Marathon on October 3rd, aiming to break 3:30 and shatter my previous PR. Then I'll do my first ultra at Bootlegger 50k in Boulder City, NV on November 7th. I'll dip my toe in the ultra waters this year and then shoot for a 50 miler next year.
My two years in triathlons have been an amazing adventure. I completed my first half ironman at SuperFrog for my 40th birthday challenge, even though I hadn't ridden a bike in twenty years and swam for survival before starting training. I completed my first full ironman at IM Arizona last year. This year I smashed my time at St George 70.3 from the previous year by over 50 minutes and set a PR at Boulder 70.3 with a 5:22 race.
Now I'm going to spend the rest of the season focused on running adventures. I've loved (and occasionally loathed) running my entire adult life. Before triathlons, I was a recreational runner who ran just for the joy of being outdoors. I never ran with any particular time goal. I did four marathons and a handful of half marathons but always with the goal on completing rather than competing. I ran even when I tipped the scales at a deuce. As a result of all that run durability, running is the area where I've improved most rapidly since joining EN. I went from a VDOT of around 38 this time last year to 47 today. I want to see how much farther I can take it.
Subscribe to the thread if you'd like to follow the ups and downs of my running adventures over the next 20 weeks...
Comments
Coach Patrick created a custom marathon training plan for me. I made a couple of minor additions to include a 5 week block to transition from marathon training to trail running. I have world-class trails right in my front yard at Corner Canyon, and I plan to include at least one trail run per week during my marathon training.
The plan consists of three blocks:
Here is the plan in all its glory: Gabe Peterson's Marathon + 50k training plan.
Yesterday I was feeling recovered from Boulder 70.3 and decided to go have a trail running adventure. My house is just down the road from Corner Canyon, a mecca for mountain biking and trail running in the Salt Lake area. I decided to do the grand tour of Corner Canyon.
I took the Aqueduct Trail to Gasline and then climbed up Ghost Falls. I took the road the rest of the way to the summit and then descended via Ann's Trail to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail and back home. Put in 11 miles with 1300+ ft of elevation gain. Ran up all the hills except one short technical section that required some scrambling. It was definitely liberating to just run and not be a slave to any pace targets. Here's the run on Strava (so it happened).
Great way to start my running adventures!
I tend to become a student of my passions, reading and researching the topic. Perhaps it's my background starting out as a scientist. That's probably one of the appeals of triathlons -- there is some much knowledge to master.
I've read a few books on running lately...
I listened to the audiobook for Born to Run during the long, lonely drive across Wyoming and back for Boulder 70.3. That is a masterpiece, an opus to running! The thesis is that we are literally born to run. That is, we are natural endurance athletes. Many animals are faster, but none has the endurance of a human. For example, humans routinely best horses in endurance races. This is all wrapped in the great story of ultrarunner Scott Jurek travelling to Mexico to race the Tarahumra Indians, legendary runners. This should be on every endurance athlete's bookshelf.
I've been reading Advanced Marathoning to gear up for St George Marathon. It has several plans that weave in a lot of the runs similar to the plan Coach P built. One notable difference is the double runs. It recommends double runs only for very high mileage athletes, like 60+ MPW. I definitely like the idea as a way to get in mileage while lowering the risk of injury. I'll give the double runs a shot and see how it goes. One gem I got from the book was to practice grabbing cups and drinking while running. You go to a track with a partner and have them hand you a cup each lap. Pinch the top of the cup and drink without breaking stride. I usually have to walk, unless I want the sports drink sprayed all over me.
I've been reading Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning: Training for an Ultramarathon, from 50K to 100 Miles and Beyond to prepare for the 50k. The most striking thing about this book is it shows the youth of ultrarunning. The plans are basically run. A lot. It debates whether you should do speed work. The nutrition advice is find out what works for you, with little guidance on target calories. There is no mention of heart rate at all. That's surprising since I would expect the biggest danger is blowing up.
I'd love to get reading recommendations from the team. What running books are on your shortlist?
I'd recommend the book "Relentless Forward Progress" I followed a hybrid/hack of those plans cross referenced with the EN Ultra Plan.... Very simlar...
http://www.amazon.com/Relentless-Forward-Progress-Running-Ultramarathons/dp/1891369903/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435138030&sr=8-1&keywords=relentless+forward+progress&pebp=1435138037244&perid=102MQE4MWWGA2C00WEWX
Yeah, there are crickets chirping in the Ultra forum. I think most of the content is from when you and Shaughn were ramping up for your ultras. I skimmed through it when I was thinking about about doing an ultra. I'll read through your plan and race report in detail.
Running in general doesn't seem to get the same love that cycling and swimming do. Cycling seems to be the glory sport. There is so much technique in swimming it warrants a lot of thought and discussion. Running can seem like it gets overshadowed. I'm surprised how many Ironman athletes I meet have never done an open marathon.I'll keep updating the thread as my adventures unfold. At least I have one reader.
Week 1 is in the books. Logged 28 miles, beating my target of 27 miles. Next week I'll target 30 miles as I ramp up to 40+ MPW over the next few weeks.
I definitely appreciate the time efficiency and portability of running. It took just under 4 hours to get it done. I was traveling for work to Palo Alto during the week and visiting family near Sacramento over the weekend. This kind of week would have torpedoed my cycling and I would have been hunting for a pool during tri training. I just found convenient run locations near where I was staying.
The first time I've run 3 back-to-back days in a long time. By day 3 I was feeling it, so I did my run on the hotel treadmill. I'l have mix in a treadmill or trail running for 3+ consecutive runs to save my body punishment and minimize risk of injury.
I listened to the book Ultra Mindeset while driving and flying. It focuses on the mental game of endurance sports.
On the flight to the Bay Area, I sat next to a guy who did the Leadville 100, one of the premiere and most challenging ultras. He did it on crappy training, so it made me feel more confident about tackling a 100 miler some day...
I'm enjoying the book Ultra Mindset and think it has general applicability to any endurance sport, and probably life. It focuses on mental training, which was one of the themes in Born to Run as well. It talks about re-framing tasks you hate into positives. Instead of grinding out a run, think about how excited you are to be outdoors running. The Tarahumara Indians actually smile while running ultras.
One specific nugget I found particularly useful:
I found the Antelope Island 50k in SLC that is a week after Bootlegger 50k in Boulder City, NV. It must not have been opened when I was looking before. The only potential drawback is that the weather could be bad in November in SLC, including the possibility of snow. I'll monitor the weather forecast leading up to the 50k, and if it looks okay then I'll go with Antelope Island instead.
This week I'll shoot for at least 33 miles. So far the ramp up following the 10% rule hasn't been bad at all. One thing I noticed is that my appetite has gone down dramatically. I remember reading the running has an appetite suppressing effect. I am always starving during triathlon training.
Weeks 3 and 4 done! In week 3 I logged 34 miles, with a significant fraction as trail runs. I also did a bonus 8 mile hike to Mission Peak in the Bay Area with a buddy (pic below).
I was traveling during week 4, and arranged to stay near Stanford campus during the week to have easy access to traffic free running and the track for speed work. I did my long run on Saturday on the Iron Horse and Contra Costa trails near my friend's house in Walnut Creek, CA. I guess I am getting used to the etiquette of cyclists in Utah who will (rightly) yield to runners. I had several, SEVERAL!, California cyclists deliberately ride directly at me kamikaze style shouting for me to "get the fuck out of the way," even though I was tight roping the edge of the trail. I usually had to make it clear I was going remove them from their bikes before they'd share the trail, usually cursing at me. Anyway, I ended the week with 36 miles. Stay classy, California cyclists...
This week the IronCowboy finishes his odyssey just a short distance from my home in Utah on Saturday. I'm planning to run the entire marathon with him. He's been doing the marathons in the 5-6 hour range, so it will probably be a stoopid easy pace. The weather is going to be in the low 90s. I'll be out in the heat for a long time, making hydration key. For the folks who have done the run with the IronCowboy, was there a support crew that would carry your nutrition?
Thanks for the update! Using your fitness to do cool shit!
Thanks, Coach! In week 5, I definitely got to use my fitness to do cool shit: I ran with the Iron Cowboy on the final marathon of his epic quest!
The Iron Cowboy lives in Utah, not far from my house. He arrange the 50/50/50 to end at Thanksgiving Point just down the road. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to run with him. I got to the park while he was still on the bike and waited at the SLTC tent. The mercury already hit 90F and was rising.
When he arrived to a cheering crowd, they announced a change to the run course. It would be 16 miles on the nearby Jordan River bike trail followed by 1 mile loops around the park. I groaned about the mind numbing loops but figured I’d just see how things went.
Next thing I knew a huge crowd was surging out with the IC on the run. I started out in the back and said to myself, “screw this, I’m running in the front.” I powered though the crowd until I was running alongside the IC stride for stride. He was chatty the first 10 miles, recounting his adventures. The darkest part he said was when he fell asleep on the bike and crashed in Mississippi. He could hardly walk let alone run. (This was when “elliptical-gate” occurred when he rode an elliptical machine for 6 hours instead of running).
We came to a bridge crossing the Jordan River and a bunch of the runners jumped in. Although I was tempted, I figured it was a recipe for blisters and chaffing. The IC said he couldn’t risk getting his feet wet.
There was a tall, lanky dude running with the IC. I later realized he was Matt Fitzgerald, author of Iron Wars, one of my favorite books. They chatted about stories for the Iron Cowboy book. The IC said he’s been living minute-to-minute and hadn’t given it much thought. Matt told him he was going to be surprised when he emerged from the bubble to see all the supporters he had. Rich Roll, who wrote Finding Ultra, was also in the front of the pack. I have his booked downloaded on Audibles and plan to listen to it my next long drive.
The original course had us passing by a water fountain. The IC decided to take a detour to go back to Thanksgiving Point. I was carrying two 8 oz bottles on my Fuel Belt and Gatorade Endurance powder, and planned to top off at the fountain. With the detour, I ran the first 10 miles taking in only 16 oz. I hit the SLTC tent and gulped down sports drink and poured ice water over my head. I refilled my bottles, and we headed out again.
I got to chat with a variety of interesting runners: ultra-runners, triathletes from SLTC, a dude pushing a disabled girl in a Bob stroller for the entire marathon, a lady who flew all the way from Saudi Arabia to do the run, a guy attempting his first marathon without any training, a disabled vet…
After about 17.5 miles on the bike trail, we came back to the park and did a lap around it. I was going into the dark place and decided it wasn’t worth it to turn myself inside out to do laps around the park. After one lap I went to the SLTC tent to refuel and rest, bringing my total distance for the run to 18.5 miles. I drank all the fluids I brought, about 2 liters. Then I ate and waited for the IC to finish. There was an amazing crowd to cheer him in. Many were clearly not athletes, making it inspiring to see how he was influencing people.
I weighed myself when I got home. I had happened to weigh myself in the morning. I found I had lost 3 pounds, even after drinking at least 2 liters (and 2 beers). Serious dehydration.
Week 5 came in at just under 39 miles and was a blast.
Thanks, Anu!
Week 6 is in the books. I finally broke the 40MPW barrier! This gives me several weeks to run in the 40+ MPW range before tapering for the St George Marathon. I’m targeting getting up to 50MPW.
I’ve never put in this kind of mileage. I was worried that I’d feel run down, but I actually feel great. I’m not carrying the kind of fatigue I do for triathlon training. I rarely have a negative TSB, so I don’t have that fog of fatigue feeling that comes with Ironman training. With strength training, I am putting in around 7-8 hours of training per week and feeling very fit. I enjoy the time efficiency, allowing me to spend extra time with my family.
This was the first weekend I was able to pull off the double long runs. The last few weeks have involved traveling, so I usually had to do a single long run. I like the double longs runs as a way to safely build mileage. I did 9 miles on the paved Porter Rockwell trail. I returned home for a snack and to refill my stores. Then I headed out for an 11 mile trail run in Corner Canyon, which boasts some of the best trails in the SLC area. Today I am not feeling nearly as brutalized as if I did the 20 miles straight through.
After the run last weekend with the Iron Cowboy where I ended up dehydrated, I decided to finally upgrade from my old Fuel Belt. I bought the Salomon S-Lab Sense Ultra running vest. It has 1L of built in liquid carrying capacity, and tons of pockets for nutrition and equipment. I inaugurated in with 20+ miles of road and trail running on Saturday. It’s a huge improvement over the Fuel Belt!
I am still searching for the perfect trail running socks. I’ve tried a few different brands, and they have all given me blisters. Yesterday I just wore a pair of my old Wigwam road running socks. They didn’t protect my feet from dirt penetrating the sock, but at least I didn’t get any more blisters.
What trail running socks have you had luck with?
Week 8 had my first crucible: Porter’s Half Marathon. It turned out to be a great day, finishing 2nd in my age group, 15th overall, and setting a PR by over 8 minutes with a 1:36:02 time!
This is a local half starting in Little Cottonwood Canyon, winding its way through Sandy and Draper, and finishing at Draper City Park, a stone’s throw from my house. It has a similar elevation profile to the St George Marathon, making it ideal for dialing in pacing and race execution. I figured this would give me a fairly accurate VDOT score to plan my pacing for St George.
I was more anxious about this race than I have been about my last two 70.3s. I supposed it was because if I couldn’t break 1:40 then it was unlikely I could break 3:30 at St George. I was hoping the weeks of high mileage would pay dividends…
The alarm went off at 5AM, and the first thing I did was go outside to check the temperature. It was already high 70s and more humid than usual, so I’d be finishing with temperatures in the mid-80s. I drove down the street to Draper Park and got on the bus to Little Cottonwood Canyon. I had almost an hour wait, and listened to music on my headphones to avoid the nervous chatter of the other racers. As we were lining up, Trevor from SLTC arrived and we chatted about the course. He’d done it several times and gave me tips.
With minimal fanfare, we took off down the canyon with a police escort of Harleys leading the way. I figured I’d finish in the top 10% based on previous year’s times, so I lined up in front. About 50 people passed me as they sprinted down the canyon at sub-6 paces, including a lady pushing a disabled kid in a stroller. It was hard not to get caught up in the herd, but I stuck to my plan of going easy the first 3 miles per EN guidance. I slowly ratcheted up the pace from 7:40/mile to around 7:20/mile over those first 3 miles.
By mile 3, I was reeling in all the racers who had overcooked the start. I passed a steady succession. I’ve got to say there was a strong field. Most would try to keep up with me as I passed, but then drop off after a quarter mile or so. I was feeling good at the midpoint of the race and figured I was on track for around a 1:38 time, if I didn’t blow up.
My HR monitor was reading ridiculously high at near threshold. It had failed me at St George 70.3, so I decided it was wrong and would run by feel. My RPE-meter said I was at high Z3. I need to find an alternative strap to Garmin – after 3-4 months they are no longer accurate.
Around mile 8, I caught up with Trevor, who had joined the surge of sprinters at the beginning. I shouted encouragement to him and every runner I passed from mile 6 on. It was getting hot, somewhere in the mid-80s. I knew the last couple miles would be tough, especially since the aid stations were only every 2 miles.
At mile 10, I told myself to just hang onto a sub-8 pace and I would finish under 1:38. I hung in there until I came upon the lady pushing the stroller around mile 12.5. I thought there was no way she was still ahead of me. I asked if she was running the 10k. She said, “no, the half marathon.” She must have been an elite runner, because she matched my pace as I tried to pass. I said there was no way I was going to get beat by a lady pushing a stroller and dug deep to pick up the pace. I saw the finish arch across the park and sprinted to the finish, putting some separation between her.
My Garmin told me I had done the race in just over 1:36. I was pretty stoked, since that was better than I expected. I was even more stoked when the results were posted and I saw I came in 2nd in my age group out of 11 and 15th overall out of 243! It is also a PR by over 8 minutes!
It was the first time I landed on the podium. Granted it was a small local race, but it still felt good. A few years ago, I would have been happy to break a sub 2-hour half mary. It is a direct result of the amazing EN community that pushes and supports you to go farther than you ever thought possible.
This result gives me a VDOT of 47 to plan my pacing for St George. I have the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon next month, so I should be really dialed in for pacing. Since the majority of St George is at lower elevation and will likely be much cooler with temperatures in the 40s-60s, I think 47 gives me a pretty reliable pacing target. That puts me at just over a 3:20 marathon at 7:37/mile pace. A sub-3:30 marathon feels within reach!
I also really loved the book The Ultra Mindset and really have applied some of the tenets to both training and my everyday life.
Thanks for posting your adventures. Keep the updates coming.
Brandon
Thanks, Brandon! I liked the Ultra Mindset’s focus on the mental game of endurance sports. When I encounter adversity, I keep telling myself, “it’s all good mental training.”
Week 9 was a struggle to get my miles in. I was shockingly sore from Porter’s Half Marathon, worse than even Ironman Arizona (although I was more fatigued). I suspect it was due to starting with fast downhill running on cold legs combined with the depleting heat. I ended up having to dial back the intensity of my workouts until Saturday.
I finally got a solid workout in on Saturday with an 18 mile long run along the Jordan River. I did the 9 mile outbound leg at about 8:15/mile with Trevor from SLTC, who also ran Porter’s with me last weekend. Then when we turned around, I dialed up the pace to goal race pace for St George at sub-7:45/mile with some adjustment for hills at the end. Since St George is mostly flat or downhill and at lower elevation, I figure doing sub-7:45 on flats with some minor hills now will make St George seem easier. The temperature picked up the last few miles, and it took a lot of mental focus to stay on pace.
I got a bonus trail run in on Sunday in the mountains above my house at Corner Canyon to bring the weekly miles to just under 42. Not bad considering my quads felt like someone had hit me with a lead pipe until Saturday.
Based on the experience of having most of a week of training compromised from Porter’s, I think I am going to scratch Big Cottonwood half marathon off the calendar. It’s just not worth the recovery cost for a downhill half mary, and I am pretty happy with letting the 1:36 half mary PR stand until next year. This is also the “peak” week before tapering for St George. I’ll replace the 13.1 with a 20 miles run and target 50MPW.
Next week my running will be a bit compressed because I have a backpacking trip down the Narrows in Zion National Park. This has been one of my bucket list hikes, and I am super stoked to finally get to do it! I’ll still try to get in about 30 miles of running with about 20 miles of hiking.
Week 10 was mostly about using my fitness to do cool shit! I had an abbreviated run schedule because of a planned trip to Zion National Park to backpack down the Narrows. I still managed to get in 25 miles of running with about 22 miles of hiking.
I met up with a few buddies from California at Zion on Thursday. They flew in from Vegas, and I drove down from SLC with two friends from Utah. We were up early Friday morning to catch a shuttle to Chamberlain Ranch at the top of the Narrows. We hiked down to the campsite about 9-10 miles down the river. Then we hiked down to he Temple of Sinawava about 7-8 miles down. My Garmin didn't work in the slot canyon, so the distances are estimates.
This wins the award for the most scenic backpacking trip ever, with up to 1000ft shear cliff walls on either side. Most of the hike is done in the Virgin River, making for slow going scrambling over the slippery rocks. When in the river, we averaged about 1MPH. However, we were in no hurry and took our time to soak in sights. The first picture below gives a sense of the enormity of the canyon.
Sunday we did a day hike to Angels. While my buddies caught the shuttle from the visitors center to the start of the hike, I ran the 5 miles. I had the Zion valley all to myself as cars aren't allowed. We regrouped at the trail head and then speed hiked the 3 miles and 1500ft up to the top of Angels Landing with some running on the way down. Simply amazing. The second picture below shows the view.
Week 11 ended up being a productive one, logging 44 miles of running. It also included a bonus 18 mile hike with 7k ft elevation gain to Lone Peak (over my shoulder in the pic below). Lone Peak towers over my house at 11.3k ft, and I've wanted to do the hike since we moved here earlier in the year.
The day after my 20 mile long run, I was feeling surprisingly good. On a whim I threw a bunch of gear in my backpack and headed into the mountains above my house. I figured I'd explore for a couple miles and turn back. Well, I kept going up and up until I was doing some class 3 scrambling to get to the top. I felt good on the way up but the descent was murder on the quads. Note to self, don't do the second hardest day hike (behind Mt Whitney) that I've ever done the day after a 20 mile run. Duh.
Week 12 was torpedoed by illness. I managed to suck it up on Saturday and get my 20 mile run in. I wasn't fully recovered and hit the wall hard around mile 16. It's been a long time since I've hit the wall, so it was good mental training for what the last couple miles of the marathon will probably feel like.
I'm starting the taper now. My next post will be my race plan...
My race plan is up: http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/19710/Default.aspx
Today I did my last long run and got schooled to respect heat. I got a late start and it was already in the 80s. I was too attached to pace targets and tried to push, even though I could clearly see my HR was too high. The last 3 miles were a death march. I'll have to watch this at St George because the weather forecast has highs in the 90s. It will be mid-70s around race finish. I just have to take what my body is giving me on race day.
St George was a successful race, breaking my goal of a sub-3:30 marathon with a time of 3:27. The race report is up:
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aff/34/afv/topic/aft/19795/Default.aspx
Here are my key take aways after 15 weeks of run-focused training:
Next up is my first ultra marathon on November 14: Antelope Island 50k. Looking forward to quality time on the trails. I'll also work in at least one cycling and swimming session per week to start rebuilding my base bike and swimming fitness. The good news of having a suck swim is that it won't take long to get back.
Well, 16 weeks later, my running adventures are over. At least for 2015. I finished my first ultramarathon at Antelope Island 50k. The race report is at the link below.
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aff/34/afv/topic/aft/20098/Default.aspxThanks for following along! Can't wait for new adventures in 2016!